Joseph Olko, Golfer and Restaurateur, Dies At 95

Joseph Olko, a well-known amateur golfer and former owner of Shaker Park Restaurant in Enfield, died Nov. 9. He was 95.

Although he was also a carpenter and a master weaver for Bigelow Sanford Carpet Co. in the town's Thompsonville section, Olko is best known for his 38 years of owning Shaker Park on Brainard Road with his brother Peter "Max" Olko.

The Olkos owned the business from 1949 to 1987, when they sold it and its accompanying 13 acres.

"It was always a family-type business," his son, Gary, said. "We all helped out at the restaurant as we came of age, starting with sweeping the floors. The next thing you know you're graduating on to becoming a bartender.

"It was a good learning experience. You learn how to work at a very young age. That's what my father was all about. You work hard and you get ahead in life."

Joseph Olko was married to his wife, Helen, for 70 years and together had five children: Joel, Gary, Robert and Tom Olko and Janice Giordano.

Duane Olko, Joseph's grandson, recalled that he started helping around the restaurant when he was just 8 years old.

"Through my teen years, I worked there and worked alongside him," Duane Olko said. "In his shadow he taught me to work hard, too. He was satisfied with what I got done.

"The whole family pitched in to work there. That's how I got my foot in the door at 8 years old. It's not something my parents really approved of, but I was helping out my grandfather."

The restaurant changed a few times over the decades. At times, it was a formal restaurant. At other times, was used for wedding receptions, and in later years it was a nightclub and bar where local bands playing all weekend.

Joseph Olko was a quiet man who liked to stay behind the scenes and see his customers happy, his family said.

"He liked to see people have a good time, with the bar and everything," Gary Olko said. "He liked to see people enjoy themselves."

When he wasn't tending to the restaurant, Joseph Olko could be found playing 18 holes of golf at a local course.

Charles Conlin, his best friend of 60 years, said that Joseph Olko was known for winning many amateur tournaments.

"He was the best golfer in the area," Conlin, of Enfield, said. "He would say hello, shake your hand, play 18 holes. The only thing he would say was, 'Nice shot, good putt.' He was just a great man to play with."

Conlin said his friend would scored consistently in the 70s and could drive the ball a far distance.

"Everybody knew him," Conlin said. "They knew him because of the way he played golf. It was unbelievable. He sort of had a following. People liked to watch him because he hit the ball so straight and far."

As a teenager, Duane Olko looked at his grandfather as a special person because he operated a trendy restaurant and had impressive golfing skills.

"He was a mini-celebrity for my little world growing up," Duane Olko said. "There was all this kind of lore about him. He had this legendary status about how he could drive a golf ball. Many people of the area know him for that.